To improve the lipid profile of the individual, it is recommended that lifestyle changes including regular exercise as well as dietary changes will prove highly beneficial. [1]
However, the goals of the exercise prescription program may vary depending on the form of dyslipidaemia. For example, sufferers of hyperlipidaemia should focus on losses of adiposity and body weight, as these factors influence Body Mass Index (BMI) scores which correlate to total cholesterol concentrations, and an exercise program that focuses weight loss can affect total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels [2] .
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [3] has recommended that for improvements in blood lipid profile, a minimum of 1,000 kcal/week exercise target has been established. The American College of Sports Medicine's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription suggest that dyslipidaemia patients should follow an exercise guideline similar to that of obese individuals, and this strategy is to maximise energy expenditure [4] .
Aerobic exercise will be the base of the exercise program. Resistance training and flexibility programs will contribute to the exercise prescription plan, and do present positive outcomes to the patient, however do not contribute as much as aerobic exercise to the overall energy expenditure, necessary for dyslipidaemic patients.
Aerobic Exercise
Mode
Intensity
Frequency
Duration
Goals
Aerobic
Exercise
Walking, jogging,
Cycling, Swimming
40-70% of VO2 Reserve
or Heart Rate Reserve
At least 5 days
per week
40-60 minutes
per session
Maximal energy expenditure,
at least 1,000 kcal/week
As aerobic exercise enhances fat utilization, this will be the most beneficial form of activity in terms of treating dyslipidaemia. Another important factor is weight loss, often necessary in improving the lipid profile, may be more easily achieved through aerobic exercise, allowing for the greatest energy expenditure.
Intensity
As suggested in the above table, the intensity of the aerobic exercise should be between 40-70% of VO2 Reserve or Heart Rate Reserve, meaning that it is not high intensity exercise. Several studies concur with this finding, with improvements in the blood lipid profile a result of the moderate intensity exercise [6][7] .
Frequency and Duration
The recommended time for aerobic exercise is set at between 30-60 minutes, at the moderate intensity listed above, at least 5 times per week. And the daily recommendations can be split up, meaning that the individual can perform the daily 60 minutes in several different sessions, and still see improvements in blood lipid profile [8] .
Resistance training will elicit positive results in target areas such as maintanence of lean body mass [10] , however it may not have any effect on blood lipid profile [11][12] . This training should be used in conjuction with aerobic exercise to improve overall fitness and health, as well as adding to total caloric expenditure.
Other Training Modalities
There are other training styles that do have positive outcomes for the dyslipidaemic sufferer. For example, Tai Chi has been shown to produce a reduction in triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL levels [13] .
Patients may also partake in sports such as soccer or swimming which predominantly use the aerobic system over extended periods of time, which will benefit the patient.
^Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on the Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults.2001, .
^ Ellsworth, N., Haskell, W., Mackey, S., Sheehan, M., Stefanick, M. & Wood, P. 1998, "Effects of diet and exercise in men and postmenopausal women with low levels of HDL cholesterol and high levels of LDL cholesterol.", New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 339, pp. 12-8.
^ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1996, Physical activity and health: a report of the surgeon general., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
^ Lippincott., Williams. & Wilkins. 2006, ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. 7th ed. edn, , Philadelphia.
^ Biggerstaff, K.D. & Wooten, J.S. 2008, "Hyperlipidemia and Dyslipidemia" in Clinical Exercise Physiology, eds. J.K. Ehrman, P.M. Gordon, P.S. Visich & S.J. Keteyian, 2nd edn, Human Kinetics, United States, pp. 247-264.
^ Ben-Ezra, V., Biggerstaff, K. & Wooten, J 2008, "Responses of LDL and HDL particle size and distribution to omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and aerobic exercise", Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 107, pp. 794-800.
^ Duncan, JJ., Gordon, NF. & Scott, CB 1991, "Women walking for health and fitness. How much is enough?", Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 266, pp. 3295-3299.
^ Ebisu, T 1995, "Splitting the distance of endurance running: on cardiovascular endurance and blood lipids", Japan Journal of Physical Education, vol. 30, pp. 37-43.
^ Biggerstaff, K.D. & Wooten, J.S. 2008, "Hyperlipidemia and Dyslipidemia" in Clinical Exercise Physiology, eds. J.K. Ehrman, P.M. Gordon, P.S. Visich & S.J. Keteyian, 2nd edn, Human Kinetics, United States, pp. 247-264.
^Aagard, P., Bulow, J., Honstrup, T., Jakobsen, M., Ktustrup, P., Mohr, M., Nielson, J., Nybo, L., Randers, M., Simonse, L. & Sundstrup, E 2010, "High-Intensity Training versus Traditional Exercise Interventions for Promoting Health", Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, vol. 42, pp. 1951-1958.
^ Cable, N., Elliot, K. & Sale, C 2002, "Effects of resistance training and detraining on muscle strength and blood lipid profiles in postmenopausal women", British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 36, pp. 340.
^Wooten, J., Phillips, M., Mitchell, J., Patrizi, R., Pleasent, R. & Hein, R. 2011, "Resistane Exercise and Lipoproteins in Postmenopausal Women.", Interational Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 32, pp. 7-6.
^Lan, C., Su, T., Chen, S. & Lai, J. 2008, "Effect of T’ai Chi Chuan training on cardiovascular risk factors in dyslipidemic patients", The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, vol. 14, no. 7, pp. 813-819.
Exercise Prescription
To improve the lipid profile of the individual, it is recommended that lifestyle changes including regular exercise as well as dietary changes will prove highly beneficial. [1]However, the goals of the exercise prescription program may vary depending on the form of dyslipidaemia. For example, sufferers of hyperlipidaemia should focus on losses of adiposity and body weight, as these factors influence Body Mass Index (BMI) scores which correlate to total cholesterol concentrations, and an exercise program that focuses weight loss can affect total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels [2] .
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [3] has recommended that for improvements in blood lipid profile, a minimum of 1,000 kcal/week exercise target has been established. The American College of Sports Medicine's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription suggest that dyslipidaemia patients should follow an exercise guideline similar to that of obese individuals, and this strategy is to maximise energy expenditure [4] .
Aerobic exercise will be the base of the exercise program. Resistance training and flexibility programs will contribute to the exercise prescription plan, and do present positive outcomes to the patient, however do not contribute as much as aerobic exercise to the overall energy expenditure, necessary for dyslipidaemic patients.
Aerobic Exercise
Mode
Intensity
Frequency
Duration
Goals
Aerobic
Exercise
Cycling, Swimming
or Heart Rate Reserve
per week
per session
at least 1,000 kcal/week
Mode
As aerobic exercise enhances fat utilization, this will be the most beneficial form of activity in terms of treating dyslipidaemia. Another important factor is weight loss, often necessary in improving the lipid profile, may be more easily achieved through aerobic exercise, allowing for the greatest energy expenditure.
Intensity
As suggested in the above table, the intensity of the aerobic exercise should be between 40-70% of VO2 Reserve or Heart Rate Reserve, meaning that it is not high intensity exercise. Several studies concur with this finding, with improvements in the blood lipid profile a result of the moderate intensity exercise [6] [7] .
Frequency and Duration
The recommended time for aerobic exercise is set at between 30-60 minutes, at the moderate intensity listed above, at least 5 times per week. And the daily recommendations can be split up, meaning that the individual can perform the daily 60 minutes in several different sessions, and still see improvements in blood lipid profile [8] .
Resistance Training
Machine weights,
Elastic bands
to fatigue
per week
exercises
lean body mass
Resistance training will elicit positive results in target areas such as maintanence of lean body mass [10] , however it may not have any effect on blood lipid profile [11] [12] . This training should be used in conjuction with aerobic exercise to improve overall fitness and health, as well as adding to total caloric expenditure.
Other Training Modalities
There are other training styles that do have positive outcomes for the dyslipidaemic sufferer. For example, Tai Chi has been shown to produce a reduction in triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL levels [13] .
Patients may also partake in sports such as soccer or swimming which predominantly use the aerobic system over extended periods of time, which will benefit the patient.
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